Private School for ADHD child | ADHD Information
Greetings..
Our 10 yr old ADHD daughter has recently completed grade 4 in a public school with satisfactory results. She got through OK, but to us it seems like she was just pushed through without really learning the material. There were other kids in the class worse off than her, and the teacher had her hands full with getting them through. So basically our daughter didn't get the attention she really needed to master the concepts that will be important for Grade 5.
We now are looking at putting her in a private school that stresses more one-to-one attention due to much smaller class sizes.. (10-15 students) We think this will greatly benefit our child who needs more attention and individual focus than a public school system can give. The private school also emphasizes more organization and study skills that are so critical to a successful education, especially for an ADHD child.
The school is very expensive, but we think it's a worthhile investment for our daughter's future. We're trying to see if we may be able to claim some of the tuition as a tax writeoff owing to our daughter's ADHD.
If anyone on the board has experience with sending their ADHD children to a private school, or a school with smaller classes that gave more attention to your ADHD child, please let me know if it made a difference. Was it worth it? Or does sticking it out in public school eventually work out? Thanks for any input..
Agree with keelime. Catholic School, much smaller, also had much less knowledge of childhood disorders and his work suffered. Public school is much better for him.Hello Nick,
Our ADHD son was in private school from preK through 4th grade and it
not a good fit. The school was not equipped to handle his ADHD or his
need for more advanced materials. In fifth grade we moved him to
public school and the improvement was very noticeable.
It is my experience that public schools have more expertise with dealing
with kids who fall outside the norm, as well as greater resources.
Additionally, they are legally mandated to accommodate them--504 Plan,
IEP. Whereas, private schools, unless they specialize in the area of ADHD,
generally don't want kids who present more of a challenge. We also
found that the parents of the other students resented the teachers having
to take more time with our son. They felt it robbed their children of the
teacher's time. The downside of a public school is class size.
Is the private school you are considering aware that your daughter is
ADHD? If so, have you discussed with the director and staff how they
will help your daughter succeed? You need to make certain that they can
accommodate her issues. Otherwise, you chld will have an unpleasant
experience.
Oh, and if you know any parents with ADHD kids in the school you are
considering, talk to them about their experiences. My kids are in a Catholic school. My daughter is not ADD so she fits right in with the other kids, However, my son is ADD/Aspergers, the school accommadates to his needs, he's got an LD in math, goes to another catholic school for help;smaller class size. The teachers and princple accept my son and they deal with him, he has never been a behavior problem. I think his needs are met a this school, it's small everybody knows eachother and i like that. At a public school Colin would be teased because he's different, and at this school like i said they accept him. The teachers that he's had went out of their way to research ADD/aspergers, which i'm grateful for. I guess it depends on the school and teachers how willing they are to do for you.
Thanks everyone for the replies..
As far as the private school goes, yes, they are aware that our daughter has ADHD, and in fact, several students there have ADHD, including the son of a co-worker who has spoken very highly of the school (one of the reasons we're considering it) So it appears that the school is quite aware of the different ways that kids learn, and they are prepared to cater to each child's individual circumstances. In fact, one of the directors of the school told us she helped found the school 15 years ago because her son was ADHD, and she got frustrated with the lack of attention he was getting with the public school system. That probably has changed in recent years with public educators more acutely aware of ADHD and its impacts, but it's still difficult for them to give ADHD students individual attention when class sizes are 30 to 35, with a large range of student learning abilities. We're afraid our daughter will be left further and further behind as the work becomes more intensive and difficult.
The bottom line is we're trying to do what's best for our child.. and so far, she's said she's willing to give this private school a try which is also an important part of making this decision.
Well, I'm on the flip side of most of the responses to this post. My daughter is going into 5th grade next year & she's been in the same private school since preschool. She was in the 3rd grade when she was diagnosed ADD. They are wonderful about trying whatever systems I think will help & about brainstorming to come up with accomodations along with me. Its true that public schools are legally mandated to help & usually have more knowledge, but I think if you can find a good fit with a private school, its well worth it. The smaller class size is definately a bonus and since ours is a small school, all the teachers know all the kids so I know that her 5th grade teacher is aware of the problems my daughter has & what helps even before she gets to teach her! Oh, and last year I created a folder with info on ADD & the math LD my daughter has. I included some examples of her past school work & some accomodations I found on LD & ADD websites. Her teacher said the information really helped her understand the nature of my daughter's problems. So, I say, if you feel comfortable with the school you found, go for it!
By the way, my daughter attends a small Lutheran school. I noticed that most of the respondents here talked about Catholic schools. From all I've heard (here & elsewhere) , Catholic schools do not seem to be the best fit for ADD students.
Sounds ideal. Best of luck.It all depends on your child and how they fit in...my oldest is ADD and public school has been great for her she doesn't need small contained classes. My son is going to public but a small 12:1:1 setting but I think he will probably do better in private when he's a bit older and ages out of the 12:1:1 program. It all depends on the individual child and the program you are seeking out. Some kids would never fit into a program like that since they need more freedom others thrive. I think you just need to try it and see how it works Actually, my son has PDD-NOS, not ADHD(we got the newer diagnosis just last year--seems like ten years), and needs much more specialized classes and aides and in Wisconsin the Catholic School offered no accomodatioins. Also our public school is very good and so small that I think only 50 seniors graduated last year, so class size is very small in our public schools. I guess it depends on where you go and what the problems are. I have another daughter who spends a half day in LD class due to a processing problem which holds her back in reading, although she is very bright. She was also falling behind at the Catholic School. I think it depends on the private school and also which public school district you are in combined with how your child is. The Catholic School here tolerated my son because he has no behavior problems at all. They didn't care that he wasn't learning. Nobody teased him there, but nobody teases him at public school either and everyone knows him. So it's very individual. psm090438544.8564699074psm, I agree. Schools vary greatly from state-to-state. Where I live, the Catholic schools are exclusive, and they do not have a reputation for working well with children who have learning issues. Of course, I am from Texas, and we have a huge Catholic population here, so they can be exclusive. Montessori and Waldorf are not considered any better and are just as exclusive. The Montessori school in my community denied my son entrance because when he was on the playground during his "visitor's day," he kicked the soccer ball, instead of tossing it. He was eight. I'm not kidding! I did find a small private school that said they would work with my son. He was there for two years. The first year was great; the second year was awful. The school was very, very small, and apparently there was one dynamic teacher who kept the place going. She took maternity leave, and the school went to hell. My son will be returning to public school next year, with an advocate. lillian38544.8776388889Nick,
I see you live in Canada so you may not have some of the protections U.S. schools are supposed to provide. I say "supposed to" because my 12-year-old son dx with ADHD and anxiety has never received school accommodations. (See my complete story under the topic "504 vs. IEP" posted a few days ago.) We went to a new doctor last week who recommended that we look very carefully at private school for my son (we are talking non-denominational independent schools, not religious-based schools). The thought is that he will receive a lot more individual attention in a smaller classroom. He completely shut down at the end of 6th grade, refusing to do any work for the last 6 weeks of the school year. I say go for it if you think it's a good fit for your daughter. BTW, it only gets worse in middle school (7 teachers, 7 classes, 7 sets of expectations) so you are switching her at a wise time.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes in the fall.
Hello-My son was in public school for k and 1st grade. It was not a good fit. In fact he was so depressed, demoralized and anxious that he basically hated school,had few friends and stopped functioning in that environment. We moved him to a private school last year for 2nd grade. It has been nothing short of a miracle. He has done a complete 180!! he loves school, loves to learn, is respected, has grown in leaps and bounds and has made good ,strong friendships. He has an IEP in place and goes for ot 2 x 30. The school is multi-age and has small class sizes. The children progress as they learn and are taught individually. The school has a policy of respect that they are able to implement because of their small size and because that is one of their priorites. the teachers take time to comunicate with me on a daily basis.
If your previous school did not work well, I would try something else! You and your child have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain! Good-luck to you.
ps-the smaller class size made a HUGE difference for my son-he was kept on task and has learned to stay on task more by himself.
EastWest38545.3330787037My kids are in a catholic private school and I honestly don't know what we would do without the support that they have given our family. The teachers have gone so far as to give me their home phone #'s to talk, and email addresses. They have set up a support system at the school and THEY arrange meetings every couple months to discuss his progress and steps that need to be taken to help him further. I know that not all schools go to this length... but I am so pleased that I had to share.
Half of our schools tuition is a tax write off because it is considered a charitable donation.
Wow.. thanks everyone for all the responses. Very good input.
I guess the issue of class size is what's most important here, rather than public vs private. Our kids really need that individual attention that larger classes cannot afford. If you're in a public school system with small class sizes, consider yourself lucky!
By the way, our co-worker told us that her son (11th grade now) has progressed so much in this private school, that he has stopped taking Ritalin. He says he doesn't need it anymore! We're hopeful that our daughter can make the same declaration some day!
hello,i put my daughter in private school when she was in the 4th grade because i felt she wasn't learning i know for a fact they were just pushing her thru.. private school does cost alot but it is worth ever penny..when dillon starts school he will also go to a private school.70% is all schools here call mastery. To us this mean barely if at all. The test is what matters we guess. To me if they didn't master it all the way, how can they pass the test and move on.This will hinder them in the future and also incourage just do enough to get by.What ever happened to full mastery in the Basic areas.
I am a teacher and have worked at a private school for three years. I am now teaching in a charter school which is a public school run like a private school.
My experience has been that the private school I taught in did not have the capability or the desire to accomodate different learning styles, or kids with ADD. The bottom line with this school is that they advanced their students - taught the second graders a third grade math program, etc. - and they were concerned with high test scores from their students. This school is trying to make money. They are a for-profit business and they run it that way.
I think you can find schools out there that are not like this one. I would do a lot of investigating to find out if other parents have been happy with thier experience with the school you are looking at. I think a private education can be incredible. It does need to fit in with your objectives.
Private schools also tend to practice and require better behaviors from all.They all still let them be kids also more so. I Known kids who were in both. Public school has to accomidate where private can choose who they want in their schools. They are all expensive also. I also herd you become who you are around the most often. Public school allows teasing private doesn't.Public school do nothing that they don't see first hand.Home work today in all is out of wack.I loved private better where I felt learned more. I feel school is hard today for all kids cause it's all taught at earlier ages. No I am not Brent. I have a son who is likely adhd and has only done ACe's materials.He did 1st grade twice and can go at his pace.We know them from when they were in Mckinney and they reffered us here. well then welcome...
That's amazing b/c you not only write exactly like Brent...you also spell alike. 
Here 1 teacher has 15-20 per class.our son still struggles.I also think it how that teachers presents what they are teaching. The more multi sensory the better. i missed that ..
Its somewhere on the SPD board. I think the topic was S.I.
At least thats what I herd.!!
Was it the post where someone asked Brent a question, but Texan answered? I just saw that before.
[QUOTE=Tryan920]
Okay...which one of you is reading my mind? this is the second time tonight this has happened.
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I called it the other night when Texan posted on the SPD board
[QUOTE=Tater]
That's amazing b/c you not only write exactly like Brent...you also spell alike.
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Okay...which one of you is reading my mind? this is the second time tonight this has happened.
Brent, I truly beleive you and Texan are one and the same, Dont be bashful, We've missed you. Where've you been.
why do these people change their names like they do their underwear ?[QUOTE=sheri.m]why do these people change their names like they do their underwear ?[/QUOTE]
Ooops that reminds me....be right back
Brent,
Come out, come out, wherever you are . . .